Spain

Question 1

What country has the largest planted acreage of vines?

Answer 1

Spain

Question 2

What is Spain’s best known red grape?

Answer 2

Tempranillo

Question 3

In Spain, wines WITH geographical indication are grouped into 3 overarching classifications with 3 levels nested within the second:

Answer 3

IGP Vino de la Tierra (VdlT)
DOP (VCIG, DO, DOCa)
Vinos de Pagos

Question 4

What are the only 2 wine regions in Spain with the DOCa classification?

Which was the first?

Answer 4

Rioja and Priorat

Rioja was the first

Question 5

What are the soils of Rías Baixas DO?

Answer 5

Granite
Alluvial
Slate

Question 6

What is the white grape of Rías Baixas DO?

Answer 6

Albarino

Question 7

What is the river that runs through Rioja?

Answer 7

The Ebro River

Question 8

What are the 2 mountain ranges that protect Rioja DOCa?

Answer 8

Pyrenées Mountains (they divide France and Spain in the northeast)
Cantabrian Mountains (to the northwest)

Question 9

What are Rioja DOCa’s 3 subregions?

Answer 9

Rioja Alta
Rioja Alavesa
Rioja Oriental (formerly known as Rioja Baja)

Question 10

What is the main white grape in Rioja?

Answer 10

Viura

Question 11

What are the main red grapes in Rioja?

Answer 11

Tempranillo, Garnacha

Question 12

What are the 3 aging levels in Rioja DOCa?

Answer 12

Crianza
Reserva
Gran Reserva

Question 13

What type of oak is traditionally used to age Rioja DOCa?

What different type of oak is being used more of today?

Answer 13

Traditional = American oak
Modern = French oak

Question 14

What are the aging requirements for Rioja Crianza?

Answer 14

Total of 2 years of aging prior to release, a mix of time of oak and aging in the bottle.

Question 15

What are the aging requirements for Rioja Reserva?

Answer 15

Total of 3 years, 1 year of which must be in oak.

Question 16

What are the aging requirements for Rioja Gran Reserva?

Answer 16

Total of at least 5 years, of which at least 2 years must be in oak and a minimum of 2 years in the bottle.

Question 17

How often is Rioja Gran Reserva made?

Answer 17

It’s made only the best vintages, so around 4-5 times a decade

Question 18

Tempranillo is known as another name in Ribera del Duero. What is it called?

Answer 18

Tinto Fino

Question 19

What styles of wine does Ribera del Duero make: white, red, rosé, or a combination of the three?

Answer 19

Mostly red and a little rosé, and in 2019 Ribera del Duero DO changed its regulations to include white wine styles.

Question 20

What is the elevation of Ribera del Duero?

How does it get that elevation?

Answer 20

2500 ft asl (above sea level)

Ribera del Duero is situated on the Meseta, that high plateau in the center of Spain

Question 21

What is the river that runs through Ribera del Duero?

Answer 21

The Duero River

Question 22

What are the 2 most important DOs in the Duero River Valley besides Ribera del Duero DO?

Answer 22

Toro DO

Rueda DO

Question 23

Quick details on Toro DO:

climate
grape
style of wine

Answer 23

Continental climate, super hot summers
Tempranillo only
Full bodied, rich, powerful reds

Question 24

What is the local name for Tempranillo in Toro DO?

Answer 24

Tinto de Toro

Question 25

Quick details on Rueda DO:

climate
grapes
style of wine

Answer 25

Continental
Verdejo + Sauvignon Blanc (both white grapes)
Crisp, dry whites made in stainless steel

Question 26

What are the major DOs of Catalonia?

Answer 26

Penedès DO / Cava DO
Priorat DOCa (DOQ in Catalan)

Question 27

What are the grapes of Penedès DO / Cava DO?

Answer 27

Macabeo
Xarel-lo
Parellada

Question 28

What are the soils of Priorat DOCa?

Answer 28

Stony schist soils

Llicorella, a special type of black slate + quartzite soil

Question 29

What are the red grapes of Priorat DOCa?

Answer 29

Garnacha

Cariñena

Question 30

The style of wine made in Priorat DOCa is:

Answer 30

Powerful, concentrated, dry reds